The present invention is directed to the design and configuration of a container for the retention of small articles. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a container which would commonly be used for storage of small articles, such as paper clips, on the desk of an office worker.
Containers for small articles have been known for some time. In an hectic office situation, however, containers for clips and other small articles are often susceptible of being knocked about and even falling off the desk or table surface. When this event would occur, the individual is left with at the least, a mess, and at worst, further damage or breakage may result from the container hitting the floor.
Self righting devices have been designed in the past but each is either too limited to accomplish the desired intent of the present invention or unduly complex. For example, European Patent Application No. 0661010A1, to Hannoosh, describes a self righting mechanism for use as the base of a walking cane. This cane incorporates a weighted hemispherical base to accomplish the swaying capability for self righting. While the spherical portion is somewhat similar to the present invention, the Hannoosh device is not a container and is not spherical. It simply illustrates the principal that a weighted round base will tend to maintain a particular orientation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,686 to Smith further illustrates a complex self eccentrically weighted device which is intended to roll uphill. While this device includes weighted component and is specifically designed to function as a limited travel rolling device.
Spherical containers have been designed in many configurations and some incorporate a self righting capability. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,387 to Elinski discloses a spherical ball container for the dispensing of small balls such as those used in a lottery number selection. While spherical, this container has no self righting capability. U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,552, to Culhane, et al., is an eccentric shaped lid for a liquid container which serves to orient the container in a particular configuration in the event it tips over. This device, however, would only orient the device if it were to fall on its side and it has no capability to reorient the container through a rotation of any angle about any axis, such as if the container were to fall on its lid.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0213706, to Huang, describes a magnetic container in which two magnets mounted at opposite chordal ends of a container invoke a magnetic field in order to orient steel objects therein, such as paper clips, in a vertical orientation. While this device is spherical and weighted, it is incapable of reorienting the device in a particular desired orientation regardless of the degree of rotation or axis thereof. The Huang device is limited by its duality of weighted magnets as well as its large opening.
What is lacking in the prior art is a self righting container for the retention of small articles which will independently reorient itself when dropped, rolled or otherwise handled, regardless of the extent of movement, rotation or axis about which it is rotated. What would be desirable would be a small container with self righting capability that could also orient and retain metallic pieces with a very simple magnetic action. Another desirable feature of a small self righting container would be a lid which could be slid over, snapped or placed upon an opening of the container to seal its contents.